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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


IBs 


Labor  Rhymes, 

^/ 


ISAAC  KIN  LEY. 


ANOKLKS,   CAL. 
1886. 


-V -T-      •»•       •*       •y 


coocooooooooooooooo 

LABOR  RHYMES 

BY 

ISAAC  KIN  LEY. 


Upward  still,  in  mighty  cycles, 
Slowly  moves  the  multitude, 
To  the  final  culmination, 

Each  man's  right  is  all  men's  good. 

— B.  S.  PARKEK. 
Los  ANGELES,  CAL.,  April  16,  1886. 


TS 


INTRODUCTION. 


Ifi^  N  GIVING  these  little  poems  to  the  public,  I  am  not 
^j|l  foolish  enough  to  pretend  indifference  to  their  recep 
tion. 

"  O  wad  some  power  the  giftie  gie  us "  to  look  on  the 
bairns  of  our  brains  with  the  eye  of  the  unbiased  critic. 
Not  only  "  It  wad  frae  ruonie  a  faut  and  blunder  free  us,"  but 
save  our  friends,  too,  from  the  infliction  of  many  a  foolish 
book — perhaps  mine. 

I.  K. 


TJHE    IDAWJMIN©    DAY. 

0!  There  be  hearts  that  ache  to  see 
The  day-dawn  of  our  victory: 
Eyes  full  of  heart-break  with  us  plead, 
And  watchers  weep  and  martyrs  bleed: 
0!  Who  would  not  a  champion  be 
In  Labor's  lordlier  chivalry? 

Work,  brothers  mine;  work  hand  and  brain; 
We'll  win  the  golden  age  again: 
And  love's  milennial  morn  shall  rise 
In  happy  hearts  and  blessed  eyes. 
Hurrah!  Hurrah!  True  knights  are  we 
In  Labor's  lordlier  chivalry. 

GERALD  MASSEY. 

I  sing  the  dawning  of  a  brightness 

Falling  on  a  sleeping  world: 
Behold  upon  the  eastern  mountain, 

Bright  the  flag  of  morn  unfurled. 


8  LABOR    RHYMES. 

I  sing  of  light  dispelling  darkness — 
Light  dispelling  fog  and  mist; 

I  sing  the  splendors  and  the  glories 
Of  our  earth  by  day-beams  kissed. 

I  sing  the  earth,  an  orb  of  beauty 

Fair  reposing  in  the  day; 
With  all  its  darkness  and  its  coldness 

Driven  by  the  light  away. 

I  sing  its  valleys  and  its  mountains, 
And  its  food-producing  soil; 

I  sing  its  cities  and  its  hamlets 
Builded  by  the  hand  of  toil. 

I  sing  of  man  and  sister  woman, 
Freed  alike  from  woe  and  thrall; 

For  day  that  in  the  east  is  dawning 
Shines  with  equal  light  for  all. 

1  sing  the  time  of  peace  and  plenty — 
All  mankind  a  brotherhood — 

No  mad  ambition  war  is  waging— 
Fields  of  carnage  dyed  in  blood. 

Brighter  shinef  the  dawning  glories 
Of  this  welcome,  breaking  day; 

How  rejoice  the  toiling  millions 
As  the  clouds  and  mist  give  way! 


LABOR    RHYMES. 

Alike  for  all  this  day  resplendent 

Shall  on  land  and  ocean  glow; 
And  man  himself  grow  truer,  nobler, 

For  the  light  his  eyes  shall  know. 

Not  for  the  few  shall  then  the  many 

Drudge,  and  trudge,  and  sweat,  and  moil, 

And  of  the  wealth  produced  by  labor 
None  shall  rob  them  or  despoil. 

The  earth  shall  man's  be  in  its  fulness, 
They  shall  reap  alone  who  sow, 

Nor  shall  they — the  toiling  millions — 
Hunger  in  their  homes  of  woe. 

Fair  Nature  spreads  her  shining  treasures- 
Light  and  air  and  sea  and  soil — 

And  comes  she  with  her  crown  of  glory, 
Binds  it  on  the  brow  of  toil. 

No  more  shall  labor  crouch  a  craven, 
Begging  for  the  freeman's  right; 

But  bravely  facing  unto  all  men 
Take  its  own  by  right  and  might. 

For  Right  and  Might  shall  stand  together 
Married,  and  the  twain  be  one, 

And  Right  give  Might  a  constant  blessing 
For  each  noble  deed  that's  done. 


10  LABOR    RHYMES. 

For  on  the  side  of  Right  shall  numbers 

Bravely  stand  in  field  or  fray; 
And  from  before  their  forward  marching 

Shall  the  hosts  of  Wrong  give  way. 

United  at  the  public  ballot 

They  shall  speak  with  freedom's  voice, 
And  after,  with  the  will  of  freemen, 

Execute  the  freemen's  choice. 

And  knowledge  then  shall  come  with  blessing, 

Labor  learn  to  think  and  know; 
The  soul  exalted  by  this  knowing 

Into  higher  beauty  grow. 

Taught  in  school  of  hard  endeavor, 
Toiling  hand  and  thinking  brain, 

Shall  toilers  learn  from  wrongs  they've  suffered- 
Know  their  rights  and  dare  maintain. 

Then  shall  the  workers  be  the  thinkers, 

Workers  be  the  ones  of  worth, 
And  plenteous  fall  in  lap  of  labor 

Choicest  blessins  ol  the  earth. 


No  more  shall  Labor  then  be  crouching, 

Begging  for  permit  to  toil; 
But  Labor  be  its  own  employer, 

Labor  own  the  sea  and  soil. 


LABOR    RHYMKS.  11 

No  more  shall  crime  be  running  riot, 
Mad  and  drunk  with  lust  and  sin; 

But  crime  that's  lawful  or  unlawful 
Known  shall  be  as  thingflj  that's  been. 

And  looking  forward  through  the  vista 

To  the  speedy  coming  time, 
No  pen  shall  lend  its  storied  pages 

To  ennoble  sin  and  crime. 

No  inhuman,  human  butcher, 

Blood-stained  fiend  of  Macedon, 
Shall  loud  be  praised  in  song  or  story 

For  crimes  untold  and  realms  undone. 

No  more  shall  man  delight  in  slaughter, 
Nor  honored  be  for  blood  he's  spilt; 

No  more  shall  honors  due  to  virtue 
Guerdon  he  that's  paid  to  guilt. 

No  more  shall  greatness  be  in  granite- 
Polished  pile  on  pile  that's  laid— 

But  wealth  that's  been  from  labor  plundered, 
Back  returned  to  those  who  made. 

No  more  be  seen  the  reeling,  drunken. 

Hideous  making  day  and  night; 
No  more  the  greedy  sons  of  Mammon 

Curse  the  earth  with  sin  and  blight. 


['2  LABOR    RHYMES. 

And  no  more  man  shall  wrong  his  neighbor. 
Kneeling  base  at  shrine  of  Hate; 

Swei?t  Charity  the  soul  elating 
( }o()d  for  evil  compensate. 

And  everywhere  shall  honest  Labor 
Learn  to  work  with  manly  pride; 

And  all  the  earth  with  plenty  filling, 
Love  and  joy  be  multiplied. 

Whate'er  of  good  in  age  called  golden, 

Whate'er  of  beauty  poets  sing, 
Yet  more  than  these,  with  all  their  blessings , 

Shall  the  day  that's  dawning  bring. 

•/ 

Then  honored  be,  shall  all  who  labor — 
All  who  toil  with  head  or  hand — 

And  proud  shall  Labor's  sons  and  daughters 
Equal  with  the  highest  stand. 

See  yonder  rise  the  gorgeous  palace, 

Of  the  millions  the  despoil; 
One  night  within  its  halls  carousing 

( 'osts  ten  thousand  days  of  toil. 

See!    round  about  it  are  the  hungry, 
Want  and  woe  and  wan  despair, 

What  for  the  weeping  and  the  wailing 
Cares  the  beast  that  burrows  there? 


LABOR    RHYMES.  13 

In  all  the  land  the  toiling,  plundered— 

Victims  of  his  lust  and  greed— 
From  early  dawn  till  night  they're  toiling 

This  remorseless  wolf  to  feed. 

Not  always  thus  shall  be  the  noble 

Toiling  bondsmen  to  the  base; 
Not  always  thus  this  bestial  gorging 

In  the  life-blood  of  the  race. 

Look  to  the  east — the  day  is  dawning — 

Grandly  comes  the  Orient  glow; 
If  thus  'tis  beauteous  in  its  twilight, 

What  joy  the  day's  full  tide  to  know! 

The  earth  itself  shall  put  on  brightness, 

Brighter  be  the  land  and  main; 
And  wilderness  and  desert  blooming 

Guerdon  be  of  brawn  and  brain. 

And  fairer  then  shall  bloom  the  garden. 

Sweeter  fruits  the  orchard  yield; 
And  for  this  dawning,  greater  harvests 

Co-me  from  off  the  well-tilled  field. 

About  you  look  and  see  the  glories 

Labor  from  the  earth  has  won; 
Of  truth  I  know  that  Labor's  holy, 

Noble  each  good  deed  that's  done. 


14  LABOR    RHYMES. 

Henceforth,  when  rise  the  stately  mansions, 

None  shall  be  the  price  of  sin; 
But  honest  work  of  honest  workers— 

Those  who  build  shall  enter  in. 

And  brighter  still  shall  come  the  dawning — 
It  shall  come  the  perfect  day — 

See!  Higher  waves  the  flag  of  morning, 
Brighter  are  the  beams  that  play. 

'Twill  be  a  time  of  toil  and  struggle; 

But  of  toil  unmixed  with  strife; 
And  from  the  toiling  and  the  struggling 

All  shall  grow  to  higher  life. 

The  noble  acts  of  self-denial, 

<  Jenerous  deeds  for  others  done — 

To  house  of  woe  to  carry  blessings — 
These  the  proudest  laurels  won. 

Then  each  shall  find  his  bliss  the  greater 

For  the  blessing  that  he  gives; 
And  man  himself  shall  grow  the  nobler 

For  the  noble  life  he  lives. 

( )h !  Would  you  hasten  on  the  coming 
( )f  this  bright  and  beauteous  day, 

Would  you  lift  your  brother,  sister, 
Up  from  out  the  mire  and  clay? 


LABOR    RHYMES.  15 

If  you  would  mould  them  to  the  beauty 
Which  their  constant  souls  aspire, 

If  you  would  snatch  them  from  the  burning, 
Out  from  the  consuming  fire; 

Then  forward  is  the  place  of  duty; 

Stand  a  hero  at  the  front, 
And  bravely  in  the  hour  of  struggle, 

Of  its  dangers  bear  the  brunt. 

And  should  you  find  your  brothers,  sisters, 

Tired  and  fainting  on  the  road, 
Aweary  of  the  toilsome  journey, 

Weary  of  the  heavy  load, 

Reach  out  to  them  the  hand  of  helping, 

Speak  unto  them  words  of  cheer, 
And  point  them  to  the  light  that's  dawning 

With  its  glories  coming  near. 

For  we  should  learn  to  aid  each  other 

In  the  turmoil  and  the  strife — 
Should  learn  to  bear  each  other's  burdens 

On  the  toilsome  march  of  life. 

Should  learn  to  bear  life's  burdens  equal, 

Not  to  shrink  from  touch  of  toil, 
And  gather  of  the  fruits  of  labor 

From  the  air  and  sea  and  soil. 


16  LABOR    RHYMES. 

Or  should  you  find  your  brother,  sister, 
Erring  on  life's  downward  way, 

Point  them  to  the  beauteous  dawning 
Gorgeous  with  the  coming  day. 

Tis  yours  to  teach  of  virtue,  duty, 
Teach  of  peace,  and  love,  and  truth ; 

To  teach  of  upright  men  and  women, 
Teach  of  pure  and  stainless  youth. 

For  in  this  time  of  dawning  brightness 

Sin  and  shame  shall  flee  away, 
And  love,  and  peace,  and  truth,  and  beauty. 

Grandly  glorify  the  day. 

For  God  will  bless  the  hand  of  toiling, 
God  will  bless  the  soul  that's  true; 

Then  faithful  in  the  work  we're  doing 
Let  us  walk  our  journey  through. 

We  dare  not  silence  thoughts  we  cherish— 
Virtue,  beauty,  truth  and  good — 

Though  we  should  find  that  the  baptismal 
Font  should  be  a  font  of  blood. 

'Tis  thus  the  day  I  sing  is  dawning, — 
With  each  truth  that's  bravely  told, 

Still  come  the  day-beams  brighter,  brighter. 
Bringing  blessings  manifold. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  17 


And  in  this  day  we'll  walk  together, 
Walk  with  Truth  alone  our  guide; 

And  in  our  better,  nobler  living, 
He  the  All-Father  glorified. 


(aOOE)   J^IQjHT. 

Good  night,  good  night:  each  mutual  friend, 
The  members  of  our  faithful  band, 

Our  blessings,  each  with  each,  we  send, 
As  give  we  each  the  parting  hand. 

On  what  is  good  we'll  ponder  well, 
Of  all  we've  seen  and  heard  to-night; 

And  bound  in  Friendship's  holy  spell, 
We'll  drink  its  cup  of  sweet  delight. 

We'll  keep  our  pledges  faithful,  true, 
And  help  along  the  generous  plan; 

We'll  honest  be  in  all  we  do 

And  "  help  each  other  all  we  can." 

Nor  shall  we  stop  and  idly  wait 

For  chance  to  do  a  noble  deed; 
No  grudging  hand  shall  hesitate 

When  brothers,  sisters  are  in  need. 


LABOR    RHYMES. 

Nor  shall  we  hide  our  light  within 
Our  toiling,  faithful,  noble  band, 

Hut  others  to  our  order  win 

And  spread  its  blessings  through  the  land. 

And  upward  shall  our  souls  aspire 

Unto  the  purer,  nobler  love; 
And  kindle  in  our  souls  the  fire 

Whose  light  is  of  the  Light  above. 

Good  night,  good  night;  each  mutual  friend, 
The  members  of  our  faithful  band; 

Our  blessings,  each  with  each,  we  send, 
As  give  we  each  the  parting  hand. 


When  hard-hearted  Interest  first  began 

To  poison  Earth,  Astnea  left  the  plain; 
Guile,  violence  and  murder  seized  on  man, 
And  for  soft,  milky  streams,  in  blood  the  riv 
ers  ran. 

THOMPSON. 

Oh !  Why  should  tears  of  sadness  fall, 

And  sorrow's  mourning  shroud  the  heart? 

Why  Avarice  spread  his  deathful  pall, 
And  make  for  gold  fair  Truth  a  mart? 

The  heavens  spread  their  lights  on  high, 
Our  earth's  aglow  with  loveliness; 

Then  why  not  beaming  from  the  eye, 
And  brother's  love  a  brother  bless? 

It  e'en  was  so  in  times  of  eld, 

In  fair  Astraea's  golden  reign; 
Then  man  each  man  a  brother  held, 

And  face  that  smiled  met  smile  again. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  21 

Then  virtue  reigned,  each  mutual  face, 

As  joy  it  met  did  joy  impart; 
The  bliss  of  each  to  each  we  trace, 

As  heart  in  kindness  spoke  to  heart. 

Ah!  Sweet  it  was,  I  ween,  to  see 

The  peace  and  love  that  friends  endear; 

The  look,  the  deed  of  charity— 

The  mutual  smile,  the  mutual  tear. 

Then  speech  was  truth,  and  guileless  thought, 
And  none  fair  Truth  did  false  construe; 

Hypocrisy  there  then  was  nought, 

And  love,  oh  bliss!  on  earth  was  true. 

Ne  tongue  of  slander  then  assailed 

With  poisonous  breath  a  brother's  fame; 

If  meed  of  praise  for  one  prevailed, 
The  rival  generous  owned  the  flame. 

Ne  children  dug  beneath  the  soil, 

Nor  famished  mother  starved  for  bread; 

Ne  stalwart  brother  begged  to  toil, 
Nor  martyrs  then  for  ju$a&  bled. 

And  in  the  early,  primal  day, 
No  need  the  justice  courts  impart; 

No  need  of  legal  rules  the  sway, 
For  thine,  O  virtue!  was  the  heart. 


22  LABOR    RHYMES. 

The  bounteous  Earth  in  vernal  climes, 
O  man,  her  plenty  spread  for  thee; 

Ah!  Woe  it  is  in  latter  times, 

We  moil  and  hunger,  thirst  and  dree. 

Astrsea,  woe  it  is,  thy  reign 

Should  lose  o'er  earth  and  man  its  sway; 
Wilt  ne'er  resume  thy  rule  again, 

Of  peace  to  glad  this  latter  day? 

We  ne'er  may  drink  the  cup  of  life 
Filled  up  with  sweetness  to  the  brim. 

While  peace  on  earth  gives  place  to  strife, 
And  lust  for  gold  the  heart  cloth  dim. 

While  man  and  woman  slavish  toil 
That  they  may  reap  who  do  not  sow, 

Must  sweat  of  labor  curse  the  soil 
On  which  sustaining  food  must  grow. 

J  pour  my  scorn,  I  set  my  foot 
Upon  the  low-born  lust  for  gold — 

It  drags  to  earth  the  aspiring  thought, 
It  drags  to  hell  the  aspiring  soul. 

I  would  not  have  within  my  breast 
The  soul  corrupt  the  miser  feels, 

For  all  the  wealth  of  Inda  blest, 

For  all  the  mines  this  earth  conceals. 


LABOR    RHYMES. 

I  would  not  yield  the  free-born  will 
And  bow  to  lustful  Mammon's  spell, 

For  all  the  wealth  the  coffers  fill 
Of  all  the  millionaires  of  hell. 

For  what's  the  gewgaw,  glittering  gold, 
That  man  should  sell  his  soul  to  buy? 

Exchange  the  soul,  of  worth  untold, 
For  dust  that  in  the  earth  doth  lie. 

With  groveling  thoughts,  hell-born  he  dijrs. 

In  hell-born  thoughts  his  being  lives; 
With  baseness,  falsehood,  low  intrigues. 

The  miser  for  his  treasure  strives. 

Ah!  what  to  him  that  brother  bleeds, 
Or  widow's  aching  heart  is  wrung? 

Ah !  what  to  him  are  ruthless  deeds 
Of  bloody  crime  or  perjured  tongue? 

Ah!  what  to  him  that  tyrant  wields 
The  lash  upon  the  toiling  slave, 

If  but  the  grudging  cotton-fields 
The  lucre  yield  his  soul  doth  crave? 

Ah!  what  to  him  that  virgins  sell 
Their  virgin  fame  for  sister's  bread? 

Ah!  what  to  him  but  nought?     Till  hell 
Shall  yield  its  damned  dead, 


24  LABOR    RHYMES. 

Shall  he  ne'er  feel  for  others'  woe, 

Nor  warm  his  heart  with  pity's  ruth; 

Nor  shall  his  rayless  soul  e'er  know 
The  bliss  affliction's  sigh  to  soothe. 

( )h  !    when  shall  earth  the  brightness  see, 

It  saw  in  early  primal  day? 
Oh !    when  shall  gladness  fill  the  ee 

And  Love  on  earth  regain  its  sway? 

Not  while  the  soul  can  worship  dust, 
Or  wealth  with  blood  its  coffers  fill; 

Not  while  the  low-born,  sensual  lust 

Shall  spread  o'er  earth  its  cankering  ill. 

Not  while  the  base-born  lust  of  gold 
Shall  reason  hold  subordinate; 

And  pure  emotions  of  the  soul 
By  passions  low  be  subjugate. 

A  fairer  day  shall  come  I  trow, 

Its  light  shall  fall  on  land  and  main: 

When  none  shall  reap  who  do  not  sow, 
And  peace  on  earth  resume  her  reign. 

I  give,  Astnea,  homage  thee, 

My  dreams  have  oft  thy  light  beheld— 
Oh!  Shall  our  earth  again  e'er  see 

The  happy  days,  the  days  of  old? 


TO  EUROPE. 

Hail!  Ye  friends  beyond  the  waters, 
Struggling  for  dear  Freedom's  right; 

Take  our  hand — all  men  are  brothers- 
More  we  pledge  you,  freemen's  might. 

Bear  aloft  your  freeman's  banner, 
To  the  eyes  of  toil  unfurled: 

Blazon  there  the  noble  motto: 

RIGHT  AND  FREEDOM  FOR  THE  WOULD. 

Never  more  to  priest  or  despot 

Man  shall  crouch  a  creeping  slave; 

Proudly  shall  he  live  a  freeman, 
Dying  fill  a  freeman.'s  grave. 

Bowing  meekly  to  the  tyrant 

Only  makes  his  chains  more  tight; 

Never  can  to  masters  fawning 

Gain  for  slave  the  freeman's  right. 


'26  LABOR    RHYMES. 

Rally  'round  your  chosen  leaders, 

Strive  with  sword,  and  tongue,  and  pen— 
This  shall  be  your  gathering  slogan: 

DOWN  WITH  TYRANTS,  UP  WITH  MEN. 

Tell  oppressors,  tell  them  boldly, 

Freedom's  sword  that's  now  unsheathed 

Never  more  shall  know  its  scabbard 
While  God's  air  by  slave  is  breathed. 

Tell  the  tyrants,  tell  them  truly, 
Freedom's  banner  now  unfurled 

(Joes  from  conquest  on  to  conquer, 
Proudly  waving  'round  the  world. 

Tell  the  despots — make  them  hear  you — 

Rights  belong  to  all  alike; 
For  the  wrongs  that  they  have  done  you, 

You've  the  power  and  will  to  strike. 

By  the  exiles  and  their  sorrows. 
By  the  tears  of  loved  ones  shed, 

By  the  blood  of  freedom's  martyrs, 

They  shall  bleed  for  those  who've  bled. 

Not  in  anger,  but  in  sorrow, 

Hold  we  out  the  bitter  cup — 
Wrong  must  needs  find  retribution — 

They  must  drink  and  drink  it  up. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  27 

Truth  once  spoken's  truth  for  ever, 

Victor  battling  with  the  lie; 
Right  of  all  to  equal  freedom 

Not  can  earth  nor  hell  deny. 

» 

Forward  is  the  marching  order, 

Wrong  and  falsehood  must  give  way; 

As  the  sun  at  break  of  morning 
Brings  triumphant  perfect  day. 

Ask  ye  not  if  slavery's  hoary, 

Ask  not  who  his  minions  be; 
Truth  shall  be  protecting  ^Egis — 

Bravely  strike  ye  for  the  free. 

For  your  help  at  our  young  struggle 
When  fair  Freedom's  war  was  won, 

Glows  the  spirit  of  the  father 
Grateful  living  in  the  son. 

For  the  ties  of  blood  that  bind  us, 

For  the  kin  of  blood  we  trace, 
For  the  blood  in  veins  of  all  men, 

Here's  for  freedom  and  the  race. 

Hail,  ye  brothers!     Hail,  ye  sisters! 

Struggling  for  dear  Freedom's  right! 
Take  our  hand — all  men  are  brothers — 

More  we  pledge  you — FREEMEN'S  MIGHT. 


YOU 

God  has  robed  the  world  in  beauty, 
Robed  the  land,  the  sea,  the  sky; 
Bound  are  we  in  love  and  duty — 
You  and  I,  you  and  I. 

God  commands  to  love  each  other 

As  our  work  we  daily  ply; 
Here's  my  hand,  my  sister,  brother— 
You  and  I,  you  and  I. 

We  shall  live  and  toil  together, 
And  our  daily  wants  supply; 
But  we'll  spurn  the  lightest  tether— 
You  and  I,  you  and  I. 

Freedom's  banner,  all-enfolding, 

Freedom's  rights  to  glorify, 
Hold  we  up  to  all  beholding — 
You  and  I,  you  and  I. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  29 


Blessed  is  the  lot  of  labor 

When  its  strokes  in  love  we  ply; 
Each  is  every  other's  neighbor — 
You  and  I,  you  and  I. 


IsEGjHER    BAbDWIN. 

It  may  be  asked  why  this  poem  is  found  among  "  Labor 
Rhymes."  The  subject  of  it,  in  addition  to  his  beastliness, 
is  the  employer  of  three  hundred  coolies.  It  is  well  that 
other  monopolists  know  in  whose  company  they  muster. 

Besides,  I  think  it  better  in  morals  as  well  as  in  manli 
ness,  to  publish  while  its  author  may  be  made  responsible, 
than  to  leave  it  to  be  some  time  hence  given  out  posthu 
mously. 

My  curse  upon  thee,  "  Lucky  "  man — 
Thy  crime  too  foul  for  tongue  to  name; 

For  ever  be  thou  under  ban, 

The  deep  damnation  of  thy  shame. 

Right  glad  we  seek  in  vain  to  find, 

In  human  story,  thing  so  base — 
Thou  miscreate  that  mocks  our  kind 

With  biped  semblance  of  the  race! 

I've  named  thee  man;  thou  art  not  such; 

Twould  libel  beasts  to  call  thee  beast; 
The  reptiles  vile  in  filth  that  slutch, 

Would  nauseate  turn  from  thy  foul  feast. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  31 

( )f  all  the  things  that  creep  or  crawl 

Upon  their  bellies  on  the  earth — 
( )f  vipers,  scorpions,  adders  all — 

Thou  art  than  they  of  lower  worth. 

Our  mother  tongue  has  never  heard 

For  thing  so  foul  as  thee  a  name; 
Let  Lecher  Baldwin  be  that  word 

To  synonym  thy  crime  and  shame. 

Tis  Lecher  Baldwin,  while  there  lives 

On  earth,  as  thou,  so  foul  a  blot; 
When  none  of  thee  or  thine  survives, 

Be  it  and  thou  alike  forgot. 

I  pity  thee,  poor  miscreate 

With  soul  so  shriveled,  dwarfed  and  vile, 
So  low  that  no  thing  animate 

Can  touch  thy  hand  without  defile. 

As  man,  henceforth,  we  know  thee  not, 

Go  wallow  in  thy  slimy  den; 
As  lecher  vile,  thou  art  boycott 

In  all  the  walks  and  ways  of  men. 

For  all  thy  foul,  unnamed  crimes, 
For  all  thy  words  and. ways  obscene, 

As  lepers  were  in  olden  times, 

We  bid,  begone!     Unclean!     Unclean! 


32  LABOR    RHYMES. 

Thou  worst  abort  of  woman  born, 
Henceforth  a  by- word  and  a  hiss; 

The  cat-o'-nine-tails  of  our  scorn 
Shall  be  thy  'venging  Nemesis. 


WOf^K    ON,   )HOpE    EVER. 

A  bright  day  is  coming 
In  sunshine  and  beauty— 

The  day  for  the  toiling 

To  bless  them  forever. 

When  honor  shall  come  as 
The  guerdon  of  duty — 
Work  on,  hope  ever. 

But  let  not  your  thoughts  be 

An  idle  bewailing — 
A  fruitless  imploring 
Your  fetters  to  sever; 
But  stand  ye  for  freedom 

With  spirit  unquailing — 
Work  on,  hope  ever. 

For  never  can  conquer 

The  Right,  but  by  trying- 
Unyielding  must  be  our 
Unchanging  endeavor: 


34  LABOR    RHYMES. 

The  truth  be  proclaiming 
And  error  defying — 

Work  on,  hope  ever. 

For  not  can  conviction 

Be  carried  by  pleading — 
Nor  stony  hearts  melted 
When  wooed  as  a  lover — 
Come  on  in  your  numbers 
Where  Honor  is  leading — 
Work  on,  hope  ever. 

The  day  that  is  coming 

Is  glory  to  labor, 
With  justice  unswerving 
A  ruler  for  ever, 
When  kindness  and  love  shall 

Own  each  as  a  neighbor — 
Work  on,  hope  ever. 

The  flag  of  the  fathers 
Shall  wave  in  its  glory, 

And  freedom  be  real — 

A  blessing  for  ever — 

And  all  shall  rejoice  as 

They're  learning  the  story — 
Work  on,  hope  ever. 


TjHE  BETTER  fOR  TJHE  DOINS. 

Droop  not!  though  shame,  sin  and  anguish  are 

'round  thee! 
Bravely  fling  off  the  cold  chain  that  hath  bound 

thee! 
Look  to  the  pure  heaven  smiling  beyond  thee ! 

Rest  not  content  in  thy  darkness — a  clod ! 
Work  for  some  good,  be  it  ever  so  slowly! 
Cherish  some  flower,  be  it  ever  so  lowly ! 
Labor!  all  labor  is  noble  and  holy! 

Let  thy  great  deed  be  thy  prayer  to  thy  God ! 

— FRANCIS  S.  OSGOOD. 

Through  the  dim  twilight  of  the  ages— 

From  cycles,  long  ago,  of  time- 
Still  come  the  voices  of  the  sages; 
And  written  on  historic  pages 

Are  names  of  men  of  deed  sublime. 


IW  LABOR    RHYMES. 

The  world  doth  joy,  the  world  doth  glory 
In  its  great  names  of  long  ago — 

The  demigods  of  ancient  story, 

Who  waked  mankind  from  sin  and  woe — 
Whose  deeds  it  is  our  school  to  know. 

Arouse  thee,  O  my  laggard  spirit, 
Let  deed  of  greatness  then  be  thine, 

And  bless  the  world  that  shall  inherit 
Thy  name,  thy  fame,  thy  great  design 
In  word,  or  deed,  or  living  line. 

If  on  thy  name  wouldst  have  no  blackness, 
No  spot  of  foulness  mar  thy  fame, 

Then  in  thy  work  must  be  no  slackness; 
Thy  soul  must  glow,  a  living  flame, 
Undimmed  by  aught  of  sin  or  shame. 

Think'st  thou  there  is  no  living  Hydra? 

No  monster  in  thy  path  to-day? 
Ah!  cleanse  thou  yon  Augean  stable, 
And  yon  Procrustean  tyrant  slay — 

Where  all  must  walk,  make  clear  the  way. 

Seest  Mammon's  sons  at  their  devotions? 
Before  their  sordid  god  they  fall; 

They  know  not  pity's  pure  emotions, 

Nor  thought  above  the  things  that  crawl — 
But  human  reptiles  are  they  all. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  61 

Seest  thou  the  wrong  vile  Mammon's  doing- 
Debasing  Labor  to  a  slave — 

The  work  the  fathers  did  undoing — 
Despoiling  all  the  gifts  they  gave, 
And  dragging  Freedom  to  the  grave? 

Throughout  the  years  have  maundered,  driveled 
These  Mammon's  greedy  devotees— 

These  sightless  souls  so  dwarfed  and  shriveled— 
Like  things  called  animalcules 
That  eye  microscopic  sees. 

See  yonder  banner  won  by  freemen- 
Shall  it  o'er  aught  than  freemen  wave? 

Shall  pale  its  stars  in  sight  of  heaven  ? 
Wilt  spurn  the  gifts  the  fathers  gave 
And  own  thyself  a  cringing  slave? 

Or  wilt  thou  yield,  a  crawling,  creeping— 
A  craven,  over-burdened  drudge? 

Is  this  the  harvest  for  our  reaping? 
Know,  who  for  masters  willing  trudge 
Shall  wallow  in  the  dirt  and  sludge. 

Strike  down  the  power  all  enslaving, 
Hold  up  the  banner  of  the  free, 

O'er  land  of  Freedom  proudly  waving; 
And  Freedom's  land  it  e'er  shall  be, 
Where  none  to  tyrant  bows  the  knee. 


do  LABOR    EHYMES. 

What  is  the  reason — dost  thou  ask  me, 
0  laggard  spirit  of  my  life, 

Why  to  thy  utmost  strength  I  task  thee — 
Why  struggle  in  the  scenes  of  strife, 
With  turmoil,  toil  and  danger  rife? 

I  answer  that  thou  art  a  human 
With  soul  to  dare  and  hand  to  do; 

For  who  aspires  to  be  a  true  man, 
Must  labor  on  his  journey  through 
And  bid  to  ease  and  sloth  adieu. 

Thou  might'st  beneath  the  weeping  willow 
On  flowery  beds  of  ease  recline, 

And  idly  dream  upon  thy  pillow 
Ot  goblets  red  with  flowing  wine — 
Thy  hours  to  useless  ease  resign. 

Thou  might'st,  I  grant,  with  little  labor, 
Contrive  to  know  what  others  know, 

As  wise  become  as  is  thy  neighbor, 
And  do,  perchance,  as  others  do! 
With  idlesse  all  the  journey  through. 

Doth  love  of  man  or  hope  of  heaven 
My  laggard  spirit  e'er  inspire? 

For  every  talent  God  has  given, 
Know,  ten  will  be  of  thee  require, 
All  cleansed  and  purified  by  fire. 


LABOR    RHYMES.  39 

Tis  work  that  strength  the  toiler  gives, 
For  all  he  does,  he  gains  the  more; 

And  struggling  on  each  day  he  lives 
Is  better  for  the  day  before, 
And  wiser  for  its  garnered  lore. 

It  is  the  law  of  human  growing, 

We  stronger  are  for  what  we  do; 
And  whether  brain  or  brawn  bestowing, 

The  power  that's  spent  doth  power  renew— 

We  truer  grow  for  being  true. 

From  day  to  day  the  strength  grows  stronger, 
Is  greatened  by  the  work  that's  done, 

And  life  itself,  protracted  longer, 
Is  youthful  to  its  setting  sun, 
And  cheerful  for  its  triumphs  won. 

The  sailor  on  the  wide,  wild  ocean, 
As  oft  by  storm-fiend  haply  spared — 

The  soldier  used  to  war's  commotion, 
Who  fields  of  death  has  bravely  shared, 
More  daring  is  for  dangers  dared. 

And  he  who  watches  the  careering 

Of  planets  through  the  realms  on  high, 

But  sees  the  farther  for  this  peering 
Of  his  heaven-searching  eye, 
To  solve  the  problems  of  the  sky. 


40  LABOR    RHYMES. 

The  mind  is  greatened  by  its  thinking, 
With  better  fiber  builds  the  brain; 

The  thought-pulse  quickens  by  this  linking 
Of  truth  to  truth,  an  endless  chain 
Uniting  Reason's  wide  domain. 

And  so  is,  too,  the  power  of  loving — 
We  better  love  for  love  we  bear, 

And  every  deed  of  heart-felt  kindness 
But  lifts  us  up  where  angels  are, 
The  sweetness  of  their  peace  to  share. 

If  in  each  work  that's  worth  the  doing, 

To  well  do  be  the  golden  rule, 
In  the  vocation  we're  pursuing, 

We'll  find  life's  labor  is  a  school — 

To  higher  life  the  vestibule. 

And  praising  God  for  work  that's  given 
From  morning  dawn  to  set  of  sun, 

The  stronger  be  that  we  have  striven, 
The  better  for  the  work  that's  done 
And  greater  for  the  glories  won. 

All  noble  thought  and  noble  feeling 
Must  ever  make  the  soul  more  pure, 

And  each  day's  toil  the  truth's  revealing 
That  God  doth  bless  the  noble  doer 
And  on  to  greater  works  allure. 


LAl'.OK    RHVMKS.  41 

Then  hail!  my  brother!  hail!  my  sister! 

Toiling  on  life's  rugged  way; 
For  ye  shall  reap  in  the  hereafter 

Rich  blessings  for  the  toils  to-day. 


4155. 


51TY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

AT 
LOS  ANGELES 


A     000  876  853     3 


